


Twenty-Four Hours From Stockholm

by pook



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-02 02:44:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15787341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pook/pseuds/pook
Summary: It’s my first post Endgame story and Chakotay is travelling back to Sweden but something happens along the way.





	Twenty-Four Hours From Stockholm

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Katlady for the beta.

_“First Officer Bartlett to all passengers and crew. USS Flinders will be docking at Starbase 02 in five minutes time. The ship will then depart at 2300 hours station time for Sector 001. Bartlett, out.”_

Chakotay checked his watch. He had ten hours to waste before the Flinders departed for Earth and if he was completely honest, he wasn’t really looking forward to his return. The last three weeks on Dorvan V had been a welcome respite from everything connected to Voyager’s abrupt return. Starfleet hadn’t wasted any time and launched straight into the debriefings virtually as soon as Voyager landed. His lasted a week and was horrendous. The Board had reopened old wounds of incidents that for him happened a lifetime ago. They questioned almost everything and in particular, any incident where his loyalty could be questioned or whether he’d favoured his old crew over Starfleet crewmembers. They even wondered why he hadn’t used his obvious physical presence to take over the ship in the beginning. He almost laughed aloud over that suggestion. He’d known it would’ve been impossible almost from his first day on Voyager. It was obvious none of these admirals and captains on the Board had ever served with the small but not easily intimidated Captain Janeway.

The constant media attention eventually forced him off Earth. They’d hounded him as well as all the other Voyager crew. When Starfleet had them virtually under house arrest for the debriefings, the media went after their relatives. No one was safe. A smile grew on his face as he remembered watching FNN and seeing the shocked look on Barbara Paris’ face. Tom’s mother had answered her door early one morning in her pyjamas and dressing gown only to have a recording device shoved under her nose and the bright lights of a camera shone in her eyes. The FNN reporter had wanted her reaction to Tom and B’Elanna’s pardon. Threats from Starfleet to give them and their relatives privacy weren’t enough to stop the public’s fascination and thirst for any information about the crew and so FNN had reporters camped outside every relative of the senior crew.

It turned out to be the perfect time to escape the media scrum and visit his sister. Sekaya and the remaining members of his tribe gave him a very warm welcome on his return to Dorvan. She wanted him to stay because Dorvan needed him badly as Cardassia had excelled in their ‘scorched earth’ policy before they left. They’d left nothing standing. Not one single building was left untouched. She’d offered him a place to stay and a great deal of meaningful work repairing their shattered homeland. It would be rewarding and honourable work and a way to make peace with his father’s legacy.

Starfleet had given the Voyager crew six months leave, but had hinted he had to make a decision as soon as possible. They’d given him a list of possible postings he could choose from, ranging from aide to an Admiral he’d never heard of, to Officer-in-charge of the Woomera desert training facility. All the postings seemed to be low-level administration positions suitable for officers who were never going to command anything more than a drinks trolley. Nothing he read so far had piqued his interest. Initially he’d said to Starfleet he would be interested in teaching at the Academy, but there were no positions there for him. The cynic in him thought that Starfleet wouldn’t want a reformed rebel moulding the next generation of officers. On top of all this was the icy reception from the Flinders crew. He’d begun to suspect that either Starfleet wanted him somewhere close where they could keep a careful eye on him or maybe they just hoped he would get so thoroughly pissed off and resign from Starfleet. One way or another, it seemed to him, they were trying to rid of him. It would explain the mundane positions that they’d offered him.

He’d hoped he would’ve made a decision about staying in Starfleet or returning to Dorvan on the trip back to Earth but it turned out to be difficult and complicated. His sister had said he would always be welcome on Dorvan and he knew he could make a life there but he felt he had obligations on Earth. Seven had wanted him to stay with her at her Aunt’s house in the suburbs of Stockholm. The Corps of Engineers had assigned her to their testing facilities near Stockholm while he went to Dorvan. For the first week they’d contacted each other every day, mainly to reassure Seven that everything would be all right. After the first week, Seven seemed to be have become more at ease with the people she was working with. Their talks became less frequent as her confidence grew. The COE would keep Seven busy for decades. Would there be time for their new relationship to grow? He didn’t know. Seven had spoken enthusiastically about what she was doing in Stockholm. Her job seemed perfect for her and she’d seemed content. Would she want to live on Dorvan? Would Starfleet even allow her? Probably no to both questions, he thought. Most of the Voyager crew were remaining on Earth so he would have friends to visit. Was it enough for him being in a dull job with the occasional visit from a former crewmate? He had no idea. He rubbed his hands over his tired eyes. Closing his eyes, he rested his head on his hands and tried to centre his thoughts.

He still hadn’t made a definite choice, but if he had to choose right then he would’ve said the quiet of Dorvan appealed to him, considering the cool reception from the officers of the Flinders. The more he thought about it the more he began to think that Starfleet would barely tolerate the ex-Maquis members of Voyager.

Deciding to walk off some of his self-imposed cabin fever, he grabbed his uniform jacket, a PADD and strode out of his cabin to the docking level. Chakotay ignored the whispered comments made by the Flinders’ crewmembers as they went about their business loading and unloading supplies. Their comments and stares were one of the reasons he’d rarely left his cabin for the three-day journey from the Dorvan system. The senior officers weren’t particularly interested in putting a stop to it either. On his first night on the ship, he’d had dinner with Captain Detrik and Commander Bartlett and it felt like the debriefings all over again. They’d grilled him mercilessly and made him feel so uncomfortable that eventually he’d had enough and politely left after pretending he was feeling tired.

Dorvan V was looking more promising every minute, he thought.

“Commander, please return to the ship by 2230 hours.” The ensign assigned to the docking exit, signed him off the crew manifest.

“Thank you, Ensign.” Chakotay barely acknowledged the ensign as he strode out onto the main docking level of the station looking for a quiet café to pass the time. The docking level was incredibly busy and noisy. Several ships had docked at the same time. Hundreds of people had disembarked and were trying to get to the lifts all at the same time. Slowly, he made his way to the bank of turbolifts.

~*~

Kathryn Janeway stepped off the transport ship, _USS Florey_ , and into the space station to be met by a sea of people. She was heading back to Earth after spending the last two weeks with Phoebe on Betazed to escape the constant media and public attention. Indiana was out of the question. Her mother had said the place had gone totally nuts and they were just waiting for her to return to give her the full civic works from keys to the city to a school renamed in her honour. The last thing she needed was for people to gawk at her or to answer another inane question about the Delta Quadrant. Kathryn needed to escape, to wind down, sleep more than a couple of hours a night, and to eat well. Gretchen knew she would get all those staying with Phoebe. However, it didn’t go all to plan. FNN had found her there as well. She should’ve realized they wouldn’t leave her alone wherever she went. Her mood wasn’t likely to improve either because in three days time, she would be facing her worst nightmare, much worse than her gruelling fortnight long debriefing. Starfleet had insisted that she have a complete psychological evaluation by a group of eminent counsellors. They’d allowed her two weeks leave while they were analysing her official and personal logs and going over her debriefing report.

Would they understand or have any idea of the unrelenting stress and pressure she’d been under for seven straight years? Would they see her many personal acts of bravery as a death wish? The few times she disregarded or bent the Prime Directive as acts of a captain willing to do anything to get her crew home? Lesser captains would have spaced themselves after the first year. She came close a couple of times but had never cracked. She hoped that at least some of the counsellors had space experience so they could have some understanding of what she’d gone through. The Admiralty would decide her future after receiving the evaluation, but Kathryn had a feeling it would go badly. They’d zeroed in on her mistakes quickly during her debriefing and so she knew they would have a field day over Tuvix, the Omega Directive, the Borg, her future self’s time travel and her ‘withdrawal’ during the Void. The nail in her coffin was surely going to be her complete lose of control and personal vendetta over Ramson and the Equinox. Eventually, she’d made peace with herself and with Noah Lessing and Chakotay over the whole disgraceful affair but in the back of her mind, she’d always known she would have to answer for her behaviour if they ever returned. She was ‘well and truly screwed’ as her Aunt Martha used to like to say, she thought. Wryly smiling, she thought she’d be lucky to remain a Captain and possibly only in charge of PADD shuffling.

Sucking in a deep breath hadn’t stopped her mood darkening as she slung her bulky duffle bag over her shoulder and headed into the throng of people. The white bag carried all her possessions she’d taken to Betazed. Tom Paris had given it to her as a birthday gift and it was modelled on a mid-twentieth century United States Navy bag, complete with her name, rank, and serial number stencilled in paint on the outside. The bag proved to be one of the most useful items she’d ever received. Even now, she almost wielded it like a bat’leth to clear a path for herself. Her plan was to go to her assigned quarters while she waited for her connecting transport to Earth in the morning if she could just fight her way through this crowd.

A hand grabbed on her shoulder. “Excuse me.”

Kathryn turned around and was about to reluctantly apologize, thinking she’d hit someone with her bag but didn’t get a chance.

The reporter pointed a voice recorder toward her. “I’m Mark Hughes from FNN. Captain Janeway, do you think …”

Eying the FNN ID badge the man wore, she muttered to herself “Fucking FNN! Why can’t you leave me alone?” For once, Kathryn let her anger come to the surface and boil over. She could feel her blood pressure soar. With her death glare set to level ten, she spat, “Leave me alone!” With that, she spun on her heel and started to head off but was stopped when a firm hand grasped her upper arm and turned her around.

The reporter wasn’t fazed by her demand. “Captain, the public has a right …”

‘What about my rights, you shit!’ she thought. Kathryn forcibly removed his hand. “If you touch me again, I’ll rip your fucking arm off.”

“I’ve got that recorded and it won’t look good with the counsellors.” Looking smug, he was grateful his Starfleet source had informed him of her upcoming evaluation.

Kathryn laughed. “I don’t respond well to threats. But you or that doesn’t worry me. The Borg can threaten me but I’ve beaten them more than once. Do your worst!” Shaking her head in dismay at the stupidity of Hughes, she adjusted the duffle bag on her shoulder and started to walk off again.

Again, the reporter thrust out his hand to stop her. This time Janeway was ready for any contact. Quickly, twisting out of his grip, she spun around and thumped him back using a Vulcan block punch. The end result was that he was sent sprawling to the ground. The few people who witnessed the entire incident barely raised an eyebrow but laughed to themselves as they passed. Everyone knew the appalling reputation of most FNN reporters.

She glared at him then turned around again and headed to the lifts.

Mark Hughes picked up his recording device and rubbed his chest then set off to catch up with the captain. He was prepared to do almost anything for a scoop and so he hurried through the crowd and jumped in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. “I could charge you for assault. If you answer a few questions…”

“Listen, you idiot!” Her frustration and anger grew exponentially. “I _will not_ answer any questions.”

“What about a comment about the Federation Unity Party leader’s assertion that the Maquis got off lightly.”

“No comment. Fuck off!” She tried to turn away but the man blocked her path. Her fists clenched into tight balls and her nails dug into her palms as her patience was tested.

“What about the persistent rumours about the very personal relationship between you and as most people are saying, the murderer and traitor Maquis member, Chakotay …”

Something snapped in Kathryn. How dare he accuse and denigrate Chakotay! He was the perfect First Officer and gentleman the entire journey. Finally, it all became so horribly clear to her. This man had no idea about the depth of her feelings for Chakotay. It went well beyond friendship and comradeship. It was a love so deep than she’d ever thought was possible and she’d let it slip through her hands. She’d become so obsessed to get her crew home to the detriment of everything else including a personal life that she couldn’t or didn’t want to see how close they’d become. A ridiculous sense of responsibility and guilt had stopped her from acting on the feelings she’d developed while on New Earth. If she’d been honest with herself, she would’ve said she’d been in love with him almost from the first time they’d met. How could she be happy with him when she’d practically sent one hundred and fifty people to 70,000 light years of slow death? Guilt fuelled her obsession to push herself almost to her limits and sometimes beyond to get all of them home. ‘My God!’ she realized. ‘I even went back in time and committed suicide to get them home.’ And now it was all too late. In the end, she became so hard and tough, with little time for anything else other than her all consuming duty, she could barely recognize herself. It was no wonder he’d moved on but there was no way in hell she would let anyone sully the reputation of a fine man. Dropping the duffle bag on the floor, she took a step toward the taller man and let fly with a jaw shattering right hook.

“Ooof …” The reporter never saw the punch and dropped like a rock, barely conscious.

“Don’t you ever say anything bad about that man again! You don’t know the man like I do. I don’t regret making him my First Officer. He saved my life and the ship more times than I can remember. I feel privileged to call him my friend and I would gladly die for him. I …” She stopped herself so she wouldn’t admit her deepest feelings to a reporter. Taking a breath, she continued, “He’s got more principles in his big toe than you’ll ever have.” Shaking her hand, Kathryn picked up the bag, and walked over his sprawled legs toward the lifts.

~*~

_“…. Fuck off!”_

Chakotay stopped in his tracks, recognizing that voice. It was close by and he turned to his left to see his former captain squaring off with a FNN reporter. Her fists were clenched as well as her jaw. He’d never seen her looking so angry. He was just behind and to the left of Kathryn so she couldn’t see him. Chakotay could see why she was so irate when the reporter wouldn’t stop. He shook his head when the man asked her about the two of them. Kathryn just stared at him for a few seconds, barely breathing before dropping the bag she was carrying. The determined look on her face meant only trouble for the man, he thought. Chakotay watched as she stepped toward the man and the next moment there was a bone-shattering noise as she decked him. Chakotay barely saw her fist connect. Amazed, he looked back and forth between the man on the ground and Kathryn, not believing what he’d just seen. He watched intently as she stood over the reporter and said those words straight from her heart. There was something in the way she’d said them. The power and venom of her voice drilled right through him. He wanted to find out if she was all right, so he followed her toward the lifts.

He caught up with her just as she came to the lifts and gently put his hand on her shoulder. “Kathryn …”

Kathryn didn’t hear the voice but felt a hand on her shoulder and thinking it was the FNN man, she sneered, “I told you to fuck off!” She turned around quickly, putting her hands on his chest ready to push the man away again. But from somewhere deep inside her, she recognized him and stopped, leaving her hands on his chest.

Chakotay didn’t move. He wasn’t capable of movement. He was rendered immobile just by her hand on his chest. The wonderful memories of that first meeting on her Bridge flooded back. The spark between them was almost visible just as it had been seven years ago. Time seemed to stop and nothing else mattered. They seemed to be the only two people there. To Chakotay, it felt like Kathryn looked right through his eyes and directly into his soul. He knew she’d felt their connection too. Her anger left her quickly and she was about to say something when the turbolift’s door opened and the crowd behind them propelled them forward into the lift.

They ended up standing side by side, touching shoulders. Stunned for a moment after having not seen him for a month, she held her breath before slowly exhaling to release the tension she’d held in. In the early years in the Delta Quadrant, there had been many times where they’d comforted each other or offered support but that had all but dried up in the latter years. She’d almost forgotten how wonderful it felt. Slowly, she reached for his hand and intertwined her fingers in his.

When the lift reached her level, she motioned them to leave. Silently, they walked still hand in hand toward her quarters. She keyed in the entry code and they walked in.

Kathryn stopped in front of him and smiled. Chakotay was about to say something but she put her finger to his lips and shook her head, silencing him. There was no need for words. They both knew what had happened on the docking level and what was about to happen. Her hand cupped his face and she ran her thumb tenderly over his full lips. Her other hand traced his tattoo then snaked its way through his soft hair to finish up around his neck. Kathryn pulled him gently toward her as she felt his hand rest on her hips as they stepped closer. Almost in slow motion, their lips met for a brief second. Sighing, Chakotay moved his hands around her back and hugged her closer as they kissed softly for a second time. Soon their kisses became harder and more passionate as their hands wandered over backs, down sides and through their hair. Tongues danced together tasting each other while hips ground to hips and moans of pleasure filled the room.

As the desire built, clothes were shed in between passionate kisses. They tumbled onto the bed naked, still kissing and caressing one another. Groaning, Kathryn arched her back toward him as Chakotay teased one nipple with his mouth while his other hand flicked the other pink peak. Her nails ran across his back and over his smooth chest. Her fingers tweaked and kneaded at his nipples and chest driving him on.

Desperately, Kathryn needed him to seal their connection. She could feel him grinding his hard length against her thigh. Holding on to Chakotay’s shoulders, she rolled him on top of her and spread her legs wide, wrapping them around him. They fit so well together that immediately she could feel his tip nudging her folds.

Resting on an arm, Chakotay took Kathryn’s arms and placed them above her head. After a final kiss of each nipple, he then worked his way up her neck gently nipping until he finally reached her lips and kissed her with such passion it took her breath away.

His eyes found hers and at that moment, he could see all her love for him in those blue-grey eyes. Without losing eye contact and not saying a word, he slowly entered her wet core and they began their slow rhythmic dance. He could feel her inner muscles tighten around him as he slowly worked his way in and out. Kathryn matched his pace, tilting her hips up as he entered her, increasing the pleasure. Slowly, their rhythm increased as her hands feathered up and down along his back and sides.

Chakotay’s breathing became ragged as their pace increased again. She could feel herself clench around him even more as he started to loose control. His hand moved in between them, stroking her nub and immediately sending her over the edge. Gasping and bucking, Kathryn rode out her climax trying to continue the pace for him and soon she felt him lengthening within her. She knew he was close. He groaned loudly as he lost his control and began to pump into her wildly, until finally after one more powerful thrust, he emptied his seed into her. Breathless and sated, he collapsed on top of her.

Kathryn caressed his back until his breathing returned to normal, tenderly kissing his neck and ear. She whispered, “I love you.”

Chakotay had buried his head into her neck and shoulder while he came down from his climax. At first, he was incapable of movement and now it just felt good to feel her body under him while her arms stroked his back. It all felt so perfect and so right. He could feel her kissing his neck. His heart stopped for a second when she said she loved him, despite everything that had happened between them. Their special connection had always been there in the background. “Oh, Kathryn …I love you.” He could feel tears well up in his eyes and he allowed them to flow freely.

There was something in the way he said her name as if it was a sacred affirmation. It sounded straight from his heart and filled her with joy. Feeling his tears fall on her shoulder, she hugged him tighter, knowing she felt the same way. She began to cry as well. Her tears were a mixture of happy and sad tears. Happy tears because they’d found each other at last and sad for all the wasted time, mostly due to her blind faith in Starfleet rules.

Chakotay rolled off her and gathered her in his arms. Her head rested on his broad chest and he stroked her soft hair gently until her sobs subsided.

“Chakotay, I’m so sorry I …”

“Please don’t, Kathryn.” He wrapped his arms around her a bit tighter and kissed her head. “We’re here now. Together. It’s all that matters.”

Kathryn snuggled in a little closer, draping a leg over his while her hand ran up and down his bronze chest. “Thank you, my love.”

They held on to each other, warm and safe in their love.

~*~

_Beep Beep_

Commander Kayla Brant knew she about to do the most ridiculous thing she’d ever been ordered to do in her Starfleet career. She pressed the door chime again and waited. The computer told her the target was in the room. She would be patient. After all, she was about to meet a legend.

A minute later, the door opened. A small woman, hair messed up, barefoot and in a robe appeared at the door. She looked like she’d just got out of bed.

“Yes?” Kathryn asked, wondering whom it could be.

“Excuse me, Ma’am.” Brant stood to attention. “My name is Commander Brant, Chief of Security for Starbase 02. Captain Janeway, you have been ordered to Admiral Huizing’s office ASAP.”

“I’m still on leave. What’s the problem?” She had no idea who this Huizing was.

“A Terran male, Mark Hughes, a FNN reporter, is pressing charges of GBH against you.”

Kathryn laughed incredulously. “You’ve got to be kidding.” The serious look on the Commander’s face told her she wasn’t. ‘The bastard harassed me until I snapped and now he wants to press charges’, she thought angrily. She couldn’t believe it.

“No, Captain. I’ve been ordered to escort you or mmm…arrest you if you won’t come willingly.” Commander Brant looked sheepishly. She would try to persuade the captain to come peacefully first but she’d arranged for two ensigns to wait out of sight if they needed to arrest her. Although the captain was small, she’d seen the medical report. She certainly packed a powerful punch. A fractured jaw was testament to her strength.

Over the captain’s shoulder, Brant could see a man walk toward them. He was wearing boxers and nothing else. ‘My God!’ she thought as she saw all the clothes strewn across the floor, ‘I’ve interrupted them…’ She was grateful the man spoke so she didn’t have to finish her thought.

“Kathryn, what’s happening?” Chakotay stood behind Kathryn. His hand rested on the small of her back, offering support.

“This is Commander Brant and she’s here to arrest me.”

Chakotay looked at the security officer defiantly. “On what charge?”

“I hit a reporter. Don’t you remember?” Kathryn chuckled turning to face him. She just couldn’t take this seriously. She didn’t really care. Not anymore. Something far more important had just happened in her life.

“Right.” He rubbed his jaw, remembering how hard she punched the man.

Kathryn grinned and playfully punched his arm as Chakotay felt his jaw. Smiling, Chakotay pretended to stumble after she punched him.

“Please, Captain. Don’t say anything more. I must remind you of your legal rights.”

Nodding at her, Kathryn then turned back to Chakotay. “Chakotay, come with me?”

“Always.”

Commander Brant tried to hide her shock. She now recognized the man. It was Commander Chakotay, First Officer of Voyager. A former traitor to the Federation but now reformed Starfleet officer. Here in Captain Janeway’s room, practically naked. She’d heard the rumours from FNN about them but like most people choose to ignore them as a media beat up.

“Okay. Commander Brant, can you give us a few minutes to get properly dressed?”

“Yes, Captain.” Kayla was amazed. The pair didn’t look embarrassed as they picked up their clothes from the floor and disappeared into the bedroom.

Kathryn dropped the bundle of clothes on the bed and began to sort out what was hers.

Chakotay chuckled, holding up her lacy bra to his chest. “I think this is yours.”

“Give that here. I need that.” She tried to sound serious but her lopsided grin gave her away.

Chakotay watched as she took off her robe, revealing her wonderful body. Passing her the bra, he took his time to watch her as she put it on. Awestruck, he whispered, “You’re so beautiful.”

“Thank you, Chakotay.” She blushed then kissed him on the cheek. “Come on. I don’t want to be dragged before an Admiral half naked.” She pulled on her underwear and pants, all the time watching him get dressed, admiring the view as well.

After getting dressed, Kathryn went to the bathroom to run a brush through her hair and to make sure she was presentable. She was running through in her mind what she was going to say to the admiral. Smiling weakly, she remembered other cadets having a sense of impending dread fronting up to an Admiral when she was in the Academy. Sometimes, it was good having an Admiral as a father, she thought. She’d been exposed to admirals as a child so she wasn’t scared but she still would’ve preferred to be somewhere else.

Sensing her apprehension, Chakotay came up behind her and wrapped his strong arms around her. “Kathryn, I love you.”

Quickly forgetting about the admiral, Starfleet, and everything else except the man who hugged her, she sighed deeply. Kathryn closed her eyes, leant against his chest, and was carried away by his heavenly embrace. She found it hard to find the words of how wonderful she felt. Finally, she twisted around to face him and tenderly stroked his chest. “Oh, Chakotay. I love you so much.”

“I know.” He kissed her forehead. “Come on, the Admiral awaits.”

They walked into the living room where Commander Brant was waiting patiently by the door. Straightening up when she saw the captain, she opened the door. “Captain, please follow me.”

“Lead on, Commander.” Kathryn smiled and reached for Chakotay’s hand as they left her room and followed the security chief to the Admiral’s office.

Chakotay was mildly shocked as she held onto his hand as they walked toward the turbolifts. He was expecting her to maintain a proper level of decorum. But he wasn’t going to complain about it as he stroked her hand with his thumb as they walked down the corridor.

As they walked out into the main corridor, another FNN reporter and this time with a camera man, ambushed the trio. Kathryn gripped Chakotay’s hand a little tighter and they both stopped smiling but didn’t react as the FNN men approached them, keeping their focus on the turbolifts further down the corridor.

“Here is the latest vision in our headline story, George.” The reporter was talking to live link back to the anchor in his studio. “The famed Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager is being led away by security guards accompanied by a Commander. Wow! I think that’s Commander Chakotay. They’re …”

‘Shit! That FNN dickhead has given his mates a scoop,’ thought Commander Brant. Quickly putting a stop to things, she looked over her shoulder and gestured to her two ensigns who had been trailing a respectable distance behind them to come forward quickly. “Ensigns, check these individuals for correct ID, media accreditation and anything else you can think of.”

“Gladly, Ma’am,” the two ensigns replied together.

Chakotay relaxed a little. “Thank you, Commander.”

Nodding, the commander ushered them into the priority lift. “Level three,” the security chief said as soon as the doors closed. She watched out the corner of her eye the senior officers from Voyager. They stood in the middle of the lift, hand in hand, staring at the same spot in the wall, not saying a word but you wouldn’t know it. If they were Betazoids, she would’ve said they were communicating telepathically.

The lift doors opened and again the Commander ushered them through the Admiral’s outer office and stopped in front of his office as the security chief pressed the doorbell and waited. It was only when they reached the door did Kathryn let go of Chakotay’s hand but still stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

“Enter.” Admiral Huizing’s bellowing voice could easily be heard through the doors.

Commander Brant was just about to press the door button again, to allow them entrance but hesitated. These two didn’t deserve what was going to happen to them after all that they’d been through. “For what it’s worth, these charges are a load of shit, Captain. Excuse my French, ma’am but Huizing is an arse-licker looking for brownie points for promotion and doesn’t mind who he climbs over to get it. Watch your backs.”

Taken aback for a moment by the candour of a senior officer, Kathryn was nonetheless grateful for the heads up. “Thank you again, Commander.”

“No problem, Ma’am. Good luck.” The security chief pressed the entry button and the doors slid open. Brant marched in and stood to attention in front of the Admiral’s desk, with Kathryn and Chakotay following. “Admiral, Captain Janeway is here as ordered.” With that, Brant did a smart about face and marched out of his office.

The Admiral didn’t acknowledge their presence for a few minutes. He appeared to be reading a PADD. Kathryn chuckled to herself. Who did he think he was trying to fool her with that old trick? Her dad had used it all the time when he was trying to discipline her. She was eternally grateful for her mom who had explained how it was meant to frighten poor cadets and green ensigns. To make them think what they’d done, if they indeed they knew what they’d done, and then to magnify the terror at being hauled over the carpet for the indiscretion in front of some ogre of an Admiral. After her mom explained it, Kathryn was never scared anymore. It was just another challenge to overcome.

Finally, the Admiral looked up and instantly yelled, “Attention!” Huizing imposed a stricter interpretation of Starfleet regulations.

Kathryn and Chakotay snapped to attention.

“I know you’ve been in the Delta Quadrant for seven years and bent …hell no, broke so many regulations along the way that you may have forgotten how to stand to attention when a superior officer addresses you, but I expect a high standard of discipline here.” His disgust was clear to both of them, especially when he recognized Chakotay. “Captain, what’s he doing here?”

Kathryn laughed to herself as she threw one of those regulations right back at him. “Admiral, under Starfleet regulations, I am allowed a Command level officer of my choosing to be present in any discipline hearing.”

Huizing choose to ignore her comment and immediately launched in to a tirade. He ranted and raved at her about the proper conduct of Starfleet officers, especially captains, how she’d sullied the reputation of all officers by her conduct to the reporter and in particular, how her behaviour affected his reputation on this station to his superiors.

Kathryn switched off as soon as he droned on about how he wasn’t going to let her ruin his reputation. This admiral was only interested in himself. She wondered how he got to such a position. The Dominion War must have decimated all the good people if this guy ended up as an admiral, she thought. Huizing was still going on and on when Kathryn realized she was glad that her command style was more relaxed. This Huizing was a martinet strutting about as if he owned the place. He was a joke. He wouldn’t have lasted five minutes in the Delta Quadrant. She smiled to herself thinking B’Elanna would’ve killed him before anyone else would’ve got a chance to do it themselves.

Shaking her head, she realized she didn’t need this. She wondered why she was about to face a psychological evaluation when this admiral needed one more than her. It was one inquisition after another. Her two weeks of debriefings was bad and left her mentally exhausted. The admirals, none of who had served on any deep space mission, were judging her. Nobody could judge her unless they’d been on Voyager, like Chakotay. He understood the unrelenting stress and pressure she’d been under for seven straight years. Now they were together, she thought they would be able to help each other cope far better than any counsellor. If this is what Starfleet had become then she wanted no part of it.

Kathryn waited until Admiral Huizing seemed to stop to take a breath. “Sir, I would like to confer with the commander for a moment?”

Huizing was taken aback. Nobody usually interrupted him when he was in full flight. “What!”

“Regulations allow me to …” Kathryn didn’t bother to hide her annoyance any longer.

“I know the regulations.” He plonked down in his chair, frustrated. The gall of this woman, he thought. When she didn’t move, waiting for him to approve, he sneered, “What are you waiting for?”

Kathryn took Chakotay by the arm and led him back to the front of the office to give them some privacy.

“Kathryn, are you okay?” Chakotay was livid with the admiral. His ranting and raving about how to act as a Starfleet officer and how he would personally make her life a misery if she costed him a promotion was a joke. He wouldn’t know decorum if it bit him on the backside. He barely controlled himself when Huizing went on to criticize her personally. He tried to read how she was handling it all but the steely look of determination was there, telling him she was fine and that she’d made a decision and was sticking to it.

“I’m fine. He’s an idiot.” Kathryn gently rested a hand on his forearm. ”Chakotay, I’ve had enough of this. All of it. This isn’t the Starfleet I joined. Now I want to do something for me. Do you think your sister could use a level 5 certified Engineer, trained scientist, and part time gardener on Dorvan V?”

Chakotay looked dumfounded. Was she saying she wanted to retire and go to Dorvan with him? He thought so but still had to check. “Kathryn, you want to retire and come to Dorvan with me?”

“Yes, if you’ll have me.” Kathryn smiled, gently squeezing his arm to confirm what she’d said. Kathryn had hoped she’d correctly read Chakotay’s apprehensive feelings about his future with the little time they’d actually talked about them.

“Spirits! … Kathryn.” Tears welled up in his eyes, when he realized the commitment she’d just made to him. “I want you with me for always and forever.”

“I love you. I want to be with you, wherever you are. Forever.” An evil grin grew on Kathryn’s face. “I would kiss you but it would probably give the admiral a heart attack. Later?”

Chakotay smiled. “Okay, my love.”

“Let’s get this over with.” Kathryn walked back to the admiral.

The admiral didn’t do patience well. During the time they’d been talking, he’d been fiddling with a PADD, muttering to himself. “About time, Captain. First, you will have to make a formal apology to…”

“Admiral, enough!” she said angrily then took a deep breath. She’d always thought they would have to carry her out of Starfleet in a photon torpedo casing. Times had changed and so had Starfleet, she pondered, before she added that she’d changed as well. “I’ve given Starfleet over twenty years of my life. I’ve been tortured twice and never broken, wounded more times than I can remember and seen more deaths than any one should have. For God’s sake, I’ve even watched my father and my fiancé die in front of me. All in Starfleet’s name. I’ve sacrificed everything for this organization. Well, no more.” As she started to remove those four tiny gold pips, the weight of the universe lifted off her shoulders. Instantly, as the last one was taken off, she knew she wouldn’t regret her decision. “It’s time for me to do something for me. I’ve just retired and so has Chakotay. Goodbye.” With that, she slapped her pips on his desk, turned around, took Chakotay by the arm, and left Huizing absolutely frozen to the spot, his face already red with anger.

Commander Brant stopped leaning by the aide’s desk when the captain and the commander reappeared. They looked surprisingly happy for two people who had been hauled before an admiral.

“Commander, you might want to check to see if the admiral is still breathing in a minute,” Chakotay said as he passed, barely able to contain his laughter. Kathryn had no such qualms and let go with a loud belly laugh as they passed the bemused security chief arm in arm. They quickly made their way to the lifts and back to her quarters.

~*~

After they returned to her cabin, they contacted Starfleet Personnel and informed them of their retirements, effective immediately. Kathryn, with Chakotay by her side then had a long conversation with her mother who wasn’t happy that she was going to Dorvan V but realised they wouldn’t get any peace here on Earth. She was relieved that for once Kathryn was doing something for Kathryn and not what Starfleet wanted. Gretchen was even more relieved to see how relaxed and very much in love they seemed to be. Signing off with a smile, she reminded the couple not to forget to send her a wedding invitation.

Next, Chakotay contacted his sister, telling her of the change in plans. Sekaya quickly approved of Kathryn and like Kathryn’s mother, agreed with her that whatever they had it was good for both of them.

Sekeya had sorted out all the details. She quickly assigned them berths on the next ship going to Dorvan that was leaving in a couple of hours time and also arranged for their belongings to be transported from Earth. The Federation was making every effort to repair the damage caused by the treaty with the Cardassians. To that end, Sekaya was able to get almost anything she wanted very quickly.

Kathryn put a cup of tea on the table in front of him. Chakotay looked pensive because he knew he had to contact Seven but didn’t quiet know where to start.

“You need to tell Seven,” Kathryn said quietly. She was anxious about talking to Seven as well. They didn’t want to hurt her unnecessarily.

“I know. It’s just I don’t …” Chakotay stumbled. He never expected to find and fall back in love with Kathryn on his way to Earth to be with Seven in Sweden.

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No … Yes. Spirits! I don’t know. I just don’t want to hurt Seven.”

“She’ll be alright. I’ll be in the bedroom.”

“Okay. I’ll contact her now.” Chakotay called up the commlink on the computer. He picked at his fingernail nervously as he waited. The screen flickered and Seven appeared.

“Ah Seven, how are you?” Chakotay asked anxiously.

_“I am well. I am currently at the Paris’s house engaging in a social gathering called a ‘beer and pizza’ night. A curious but not unpleasant event. Although, I am perplexed over one thing.”_

“What is it?”

_“What is a ‘hairy fish’?”_

Chakotay smiled. It was rare for Seven not to know something about everything. Obviously, the Borg hadn’t assimilated an anchovy loving Starfleet officer by the time Seven was freed from the collective. “They’re anchovies. They’re tiny bony fish and are a typical topping on a pizza. I’m glad you seem to be enjoying the party.”

_“I am and thank you for that information.”_ Seven nodded then after a nervous tug of her hand exoskeleton, she said, _“Chakotay, I know about you and the Captain.”_

Chakotay dropped his eyes, a little ashamed about her finding out but not from him.

_“Please, Chakotay. It is all right. I was with Lieutenant Paris who was feeding Miral while watching FNN when they interrupted the program with the news of the Captain’s … hmm trouble. Lieutenant Paris nearly dropped Miral when he saw you both.”_ Trying to put him at ease, Seven remembered the Doctor’s lessons on alleviating another person’s discomfort by making a witty remark.

“I don’t know what …”

Seven held her hand up to silence him. _“Chakotay, when I saw you holding hands with the Captain, I knew your heart was hers. In retrospect, it had always been. You both seemed so content. We never and would never have that type of connection.”_

“I never planned …”

 

“I understand, Chakotay. You are an honourable man and would never do anything to hurt me. It then occurred to me that it was wrong of me to start a relationship with you. I was selfish. I wanted to have what I had with Axim but for real. You and Axim are very similar.” Seven now looked at her lap, unable to face him. _“I must apologize. I drove a wedge between you and the captain at a time when you both needed each other. I owe my very existence and freedom to you and especially to the Captain. I should have been more appreciative for what Captain Janeway and you did for me and considered your happiness above my own.”_

“That’s not necessary, Seven. The Delta Quadrant put a strain on all of us. We all looked for comfort where we could find it.”

Seven turned her head toward a thump at the door. Outside Tom’s office, their friends were waiting impatiently. She decided quickly to ‘wrap’ the conversation up, as Tom would say. “ _I have greatly valued the time we had together, Chakotay. I would like for us to remain friends.”_

“Of course. I know Kathryn would like to stay in touch too. Would you like to speak to her?”

_“There is a more pressing need. Tom, B’Elanna and the others are waiting outside ready to hear the details from the ‘Deranged Delta Quadrant Desperado’ as FNN has put now dubbed the Captain.”_

The mood lightened as Chakotay laughed. “Wait a minute. I’ll just get the Deranged Desperado.” Grinning still, he got up and walked into the bedroom. “Seven and a few others want to speak to you.”

“How did it go?” Kathryn stood up from the bed as he entered and relaxed when she saw his silly grin.

“Very well. She already knew.” Still smiling, Chakotay led her to the computer and sat her down.

“How?”

“You’re FNN’s lead story.”

Embarrassed, Kathryn covered her eyes with her hand. Phoebe will have a field day but she was thankful her mother didn’t watch the trashy channel. On the screen, she could see most of her senior officers sitting with Seven. Before she could say hello to any one, they started firing questions at her. For the next hour, they grilled her about the incident, the punch, the admiral, their retirement, Dorvan, but most questions were about them as a couple. Tom had just performed a subspace medical consult on Kathryn’s now bruised knuckles, declaring them to be all right, when the computer beeped. It was an alarm saying their ship was due to depart in an hour.

“Sorry, Tom and you all, but we’ve got to go.” Chakotay put his arm around Kathryn. “We’ll contact you again when we get settled on the ship.”

“We’ll speak to you soon and thank you all.” Kathryn smiled as she turned off the commlink. Looking at the red and black uniform, her smiled disappeared as she wondered what she would wear. “We better replicate some civvies for the trip since we can’t wear this uniform anymore.” Standing up, she unzipped her uniform jacket and walked to the replicator.

“You’re not having regrets?” Chakotay followed her, wondering about her change in mood.

Immediately, Kathryn spun around. “God no!” She wrapped her arms around him, looked at him, and put all her heart and soul into her words. “I want to be with you. I love you. Don’t ever doubt that.” She then cupped his face and kissed him thoroughly to prove the point before she added, “It’s just a bit strange not having to wear this uniform anymore after twenty odd years.”

Resting his head on hers, he stroked her hair. “I understand.” His uniform had felt like a second skin wearing it every day for seven years. He imagined it would take a while to get used to being able to choose what to wear.

After a few moments, they stopped hugging then changed and headed off to the ship that would be taking them to their new life, together.

~*~

“This is George Donikian with the FNN news headlines. The Federation council has finally cancelled the terms of the pre-Dominion War treaty with the Cardassians and approved a proposal to reclaim all planets ceded because of it. Reconstruction and rebuilding plans have also been approved with work already started on some of the planets. In depth analysis of this story will be coming up after these headlines.

Assault, causing grievous bodily harm, charges against the now retired Captain Janeway have been dropped due to lack of evidence. The security officers on Starbase 02 couldn’t find any witnesses willing to give evidence for our reporter Mark Hughes or against Captain Janeway. This network is completely dumbfounded considering there were hundreds of people in the docking level at the time of the completely unwarranted, unprovoked, and vicious attack on our innocent reporter, leaving him with a broken jaw. FNN is also sceptical of claims that the security camera footage of the entire incident has been lost due to a technical error…”

End


End file.
